On Jun 21, 1996 20:32:02, 'Mark Vang <[log in to unmask]>' wrote:


>I am thinking of developing this software myself [...]

I am writing, not as a user of scheduling software, but rather as a museum
consultant whose clients sometimes find they need such a product.  One
recent client would have appreciated the following features:

The ability to define a group of individuals and query their private
schedules for free time in which they could be scheduled for a meeting. To
do this it will also be necessary to be able to identify when individuals
will be on site and off site.  For example, if a staff member comes in to
the museum on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays only, attempt to find his
free time should automatically exclude Tuesdays and Thursdays.  At the same
time his time on site should not cause appointments during that time to
appear as conflicts within the context of his MWF schedule.

It should also be possible for certain individuals with authority to bump
events from the schedule of another and for that action to generate an
e-mail message to that effect.

All such e-mail messages, and indeed any e-mail message, should be able to
be tied to an event on the calendar so that a person preparing for a
meeting can go from the item scheduled to all the correspondence regarding
it.  This means that there should be a tight integration between e-mail and
scheduling; the scheduling groups, i.e. planning teams, exhibit teams, etc.
should automatically be set as distribution groups in the e-mail software.

Similarly, the scheduling software must have a to-do list that is date
sensitive, priority sensitive and also linked to calendar events so that a
person can query his scheduled event and see the to-do list associated with
that.

There should be calendar levels that can be imposed over individual
calendars.  For example the museum may have scheduled events, perhaps a
consert series, a lecture series, an exhibit series and social events as
distinct calendars.  Individuals making their own calendar should have
access to other calendars so that they do not create obligations that may
conflict with events to which they might wish to attend.  The only
practical way I can see to handle this kind of issue is for individuals to
decide in advance what kinds of events they will receive notification of.
When these are posted each person will be able to mark specific ones as
definitely in his schedule, perhaps in his schedule (conditional) or
(perhaps by default) definitely not in his schedule.  This feature has a
somewhat more complex set of requirements than those I've outlined, but I
think you get the picture.

I'd also recommend using a project management type of interface, perhaps
even tying schedules to project management software.  Certain meetings are
allied to projects such as exhibit design, and these events may be handled
through such software.  A person should be able to determine how a
scheduled event fits into the picture of an entire project.  Similarly, if
there is a base line modification to a project that affects a scheduled
meeting, the project management software should be made to generate
appropriate notices that will show that the meeting must be changed.

Good luck, let me know if you plan to undertake this project.
--

Robert A. Baron
Museum Computer Consultant
P.O. Box 93, Larchmont N.Y. 10538
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